Turn it Off
by indigoyoshi72
Summary: '...Not a vampire, not me, not even anyone. A bar code... A chemical in a lab that's left at the back of a cupboard with a label attached: 21051.' An Augustine Vampire... another one of them.
1. Means to an end

Screams.

So many screams. Around the clock. Daytime screams sounded like they were being ripped from the soil and placed into a world of insanity moulded by the pain which became second nature and poisoned the mind, a seed of doubt spiralled them into what we'd call Fucked Up. At night you could hear the unattended tears, and the half screams of the half conscious and the fatal whooping breaths as someone bleeds out in their cell. Then came the nightmares until you woke up and forgot your living in one.

They liked to keep your seats warm in hell because we'd always come back. Day after day, night after night.

I'd like to say that i got through it, i got passed the pain and my consciousness which was gnawing at my brain-

You aren't going to get out.

Get used to it.

Your paying for everything. This what you deserve.

I am a monster. This is what i deserve.

As you can see my so called coping wasn't turning out as well as i hoped. I was ready, ready to die. When they were taking me out of my cell i would lunge at one of them and then they'd have no choice but to kill me.

Well, that was the plan.

As you can read this, it didn't work.

Im not a fantasist and not young enough to believe in miracles but i believed in him.

Im currently sitting in a small motel, watching the sun set something I'd never thought I'd see again. I think this was all a dream that i might wake up and ill be back in darkness. Not a vampire, not me, not even anyone. A barcode... A chemical in a lab that's left at the back of a cupboard with a label attached: 21189

They day of my supposed death i was ready, i lunged at the bars and grabbed one by the hairs on his head and pounded it against the metal bars again and again blood spewing from his noisy head.

I felt a jab in my neck, the all too familiar burning sensation of concentrated vervain. I let go of the man, the world spinning like i was on a carousel around and around. I didn't really remember much only the dull sound of the hinges creaking.

" it ok ,its ok" a voice crooned in my ear , undergoing unsuccessful attempts of holding my body up.

" Im sorry i couldnt protect you... They're taking you away, to another place" i felt my my tender knees crack as i jolted to the floor " Im trying to fix you honey, we can be together again once your an Augustine" my father voice whispered in my ear, a blurred figure of a man in his fifties watches over me, not much makes sense accept the fact he's not my father, not anymore. Another figure lies with his head smashed in, half his head sunk deep into the cold metal poles, his eyes open but unseeing. I laugh but sounds more like a disgruntled yawn. A bag is over my head and black dots cover my site and my thoughts.

Silence.

So much silence.

" Shes awake?"

" Now she is, yes" sounds of metal clinking against each other.

" Lets begin"

"STOP STOP STOP!"

I didn't realise it was me, not unil they finished, my ribs cracked open my organs sliced and diced like some kind of sushi cuisine. I could only think, why arent i dead? What did i do to deserve this?

I passed out from the pain i expect. I wake up, blurred vision like condensation on a mirror. I dont feel anything, my mind silent.

" Guys shes awake!"

" Sweetie be careful"

I see a stone ceiling and i carefully twitch some limbs, arms, legs, hands... Head. I sigh in relief. No sound escapes my lips.

Then i feel it. My lungs were gone, my innards spewing on the floor but still connected inside my body, i scream not touching anything just hands hovering pointlessly, blood flowing from my chest like a river until a bloody wrist comes in contact with my mouth as i create silent screams. I bite into it, hearing a gasp as my fangs pool the torrent of blood, i shut my eyes tight and place a claw like hand on a muscular arm, not wanting it to be ripped away. I dont look at myself, since i know i must look like some kind of zombie. The sensation so disgusting i held myself back from gagging as my innards become innards once more.

I was awake, my mind screaming instructions.

GET OUT, RUN!

Run where?

I havent been in this new place for a day and ive already gained a demonic first reputation, i probably shouldn't have killed that man. If i thought back there was torture apparently i was just scraping the surface.

I started to cry, really cry. My world was ending and it didnt even begin. Two cold hands cup my face, stroking my cheeks gently.

" Look at me" a mans voice whispers, not a single tremor or disparity in his lingering tone.

I look up and my gaze greets a blue eyed stranger. I was so close i could see each shade of crystal blue in his piercing gaze as he continued to stroke my face, concern and pity masked his face. " We're all getting out of here. I don't know when and i don't know how but i promise you i'll get us out... All of us"

It already felt like i had the front seat ticket to hells gates but somehow, wallowing in my self pity i felt something i hadnt felt in a long time. I didn't even know him but yet i believed him, every word.

" My name is Damon" a small smile lingered on his lips.

" Damon" a man hissed opposite us, his head pushed up against the bars a perfect view into the long corridor.

" Stay quiet, look asleep" Damon whispered taking his arm out from my cell, i instinctively hold onto it, it was the warmest thing i felt in months, it felt safe. I reluctantly let go quickly and slumped lower onto the stone walls, slinking into the shadows. The lights went off and all i could hear was the silence on the outside, my mind screaming.

"What's your name?" Damon whispers, barely audible

I was surprised. Not many people had asked me that in a while and for a brief moment i felt unmistakably human.

"Nadia" I pause i should probably leave out the Petrova part. I know my mother's reputation.

I look back and think how thankful how much of an animal i resembled. Blood smearing my face and tainting my skin, dirt masking my face, hair unkempt and looked uncanny to a birds nest. So between us i'd prefer Damon to live his little fantasy with Elena, to forget about me and the past like i never could. To not be a barcode or a vampire, a human.


	2. Favorite Lab Rat

The chorus of birds echoed around the countryside like a lullaby in the early morning. A little girl rushed through an opened door belonging a small wooden house perched on a hill. To anyone else this looked like a ramshackle shed but to me, it was home. She laughed carefree as she tipped her head back and felt the sun on her face and the soil plunged between her toes. Slowly, an old woman came from the house. With wispy hair and a hunchback, her face laced with wrinkles. She looked at the girl with disapproval. Her face never strayed from its usual demeanour, disappointment.

" Nadia!" The woman bellowed but the girl ran to the fringe of the forest, blissfully unaware of the inevitable that would happen. I stared as the young version of myself relived the memory I had tried so hard to forget, and i couldn't do anything about it, just a ghost. The allusion of freedom was perfect. Birds were cheeping, winds sweeping away morning mists, the sun bloomed down as the light squeezed through the highest branches of the forest.

The little girl continued to run, laughing triumphantly. The old woman couldn't even catch her if she were on a horse.

Then it went quiet. I watched the little girl helplessly as she turned on the spot, completely lost. She froze as she heard the snapping of undergrowth behind her. She turned around and i screamed for her not to, covering my eyes in the process, i knew what happens. The old woman faced Little Me, her eyes popped and stained crimson red her iris' black as night. Small veins bulged from beneath her eyes, they always say the eyes are the windows to the sole, she was a beast. An animal.

Then came the loud strangled caws of the crows, their jet black feathers ruffled as they watch the inevitable. The woman opened her mouth, elongated canines flashed but she was holding a knife, running towards the little girl like a wild animal, hunched and knees bent. Until something very unusual happened, a tip of a wooden branch peered from the woman's chest. Blood dribbled down as her body as she plummeted to the floor, standing behind her was him.

Damon.

The crows all flew away as Damon, me and the other me all watched fascinated and a little disgusted as the woman started to turn grey, small veins etched along her skin, like some deranged statue.

I gaped, thankful that Damon can't see me. I watched as the younger me look up at Damon, her mouth open stupidly... I instantly shut mine.

He took a tentative step towards the girl and crouched so they were the same height and touched her forehead with his index finger.

Little me vanished in a puff of smoke.

I waited there quiet, watching Damon dumbfounded. This had to be the strangest dream my sub consciousness had provided me with and that's saying something.

" Hello Nadia" He smiled, his crystal gaze glued into mine " Sorry about the backdrop, i guess you didn't like the old woman much?" He said, tilting his head to one side as he nudged the corpse with his boot.

I gaped at him " So you're really here... Inside my head?" I'd been fighting being a vampire for so long and didn't stop to reminisce in the perks.

He nodded watching me apprehensively as i jumped from root to root.

" I didnt want to wake you... And i needed to ask you something, in private" i faced him, leaning on a tree trunk. He looked down and started beating his boot gently against an up grown fern.

" I teach you how to get into people's minds... and you control mine... At night" he looked serious, but his proposal was just plain ludicrous.

I raised an eyebrow " We've only met once and you already want me to make myself home in your head?" I teased.

He stared at me, his face clean of any emotion " You're not the only one who wants to forget"

I looked at him, really looked. I could tell he was bearing the weight of not just his survival but everyone's else's too. And by the looks of things, Damon doesn't break his word. He caught a free falling leaf with two slender fingers and began tearing it apart.

" That's the problem with being the strong one. No one offers you a hand" he sighed throwing the greenery to the floor, then he remembered by presents and looked back up to me, standing up tall.

" So Nadia do we have a deal?" He said extending a hand.

I smiled my hand hovering towards his " You said you'd get everyone out of here... Was that true?"

He grinned and then saluted which made me laugh from the bizarreness of it, something so normal now seemed foreign, courtesy.

"Missy, Salvatore means Saviour. Don't worry I've only ever broken my promise once and not planning to do it again"

I tipped my head in approval and slid my hand into his, my fingertips buzzed by the warmth of his touch, the sun was nothing in comparison.

You know that falling feeling when your waking up, try that but magnified. I could feel Damon's hand disappear and i was left clutching nothing, alone again.

But then the pain greeted me, covering my body like a second skin. I felt like led, my eyes dry and old blood encrusted my face. I could feel it cracking as i began to move the muscles in my face. I rolled my head to face Damon Salvatore's cell, he was lounging against the back wall asleep, his fingertips in between the metal poles separating me from him. I decided to use this my opportunity. He looked in his early twenties and already a man. His jet black hair looked unkempt but oddly sexy. The typical white cotton slavery shirt they gave him was a little tight, showing of his muscular body. He had a young innocent face but i know how features can be deceiving and had a leather chain around his neck. Looking around the other cells it looked like everyone else was asleep or preoccupied with gaping wounds. I slipped a thin hand through the bar and lifted up the leather. I let out a silent gasp as i stared at the excellent craftsmanship. A slender silver circle shone in the dim light and had a chunk of crystal in the middle. The inside of the ring boar Latin words i couldn't make out and by the looks of it, it was an engagement ring and for a very lucky lady... unless we end up in body bags. I didn't know why but for a brief moment i felt very pissed but soon dismissed it as i had worse problems.

" Morning sunshine"

I jumped as a husky voice echoed round the cells. A man in a coat walked up to my cell, holding a clipboard.

" So 21189, transferred from Brooks Institution of Science to Whitmore... Well welcome" he drawled scribbling on his papers, i didn't know whether i felt like gagging or punching it in the face.

" Bla de bla... Reason: death of Augustine member" he raised his eyebrows " Bad move 211, mind if i call you that? 21189 is a bit of a drag?" He continued.

" You have an interesting day ahead of you. First its red cell production after acid is placed in your system and then my favourite, seeing how fast bone repair is "

I gape in horror " Please, please i'll do anything!" The man contemplated this, tilting his head to one side and another " How about a trade, swap with someone else"

" Yes, yes I'll take it!" I gasped

He smiled " Great. You two-" he called out into the corridor and two burly men stood beside him. " Take 21051 to lab 5D please"

The two men unlocked the door to Damon's cell, one held s syringe and the other a large metal club.

WHACK

Even though unconscious, Damon's body still curled up from the pain, his body shaking involuntarily.

" STOP PLEASE I TAKE IT BACK!" I scream grasping onto the bars.

The man just looked at me, confused " i thought we had a deal?"

What? No no no, not this!

" I take it back! Take me instead!"

The man laughed and threw his head back. " I don't think so. We had a deal" the man looked at Damon and sighed happily as if remembering some kind of paradise " Besides, Damon's my favourite lab rat by far... don't get jealous now"

" YOUR A MONSTER!" I spat back my claw like hands bunched up, i could feel the blood trickling from my hands. I knew i would regret smashing his face to a pulp.

He man raised his eyebrows and put his hands on his hips " You know you really shouldn't call me that 211" He stepped closer to my cell " But since we'll be spending a lot of time together as ill be your personal hell while you're still alive i should probably tell you my real name" he took another step closer " I love your fathers, well adopted fathers work.. Really excellent" he smiled again, showing a flash of pearly white teeth " If you ever see him again tell him Joe Salvatore thanks him for another rat to play with"

I could feel my eyes widening, maddening, contorting into a face of a demon. The man just continued to smile.

" That's my girl"

He walked out looking smug but then paused " I wouldn't tell the others about our little deal, i think Damon's their favourite"

The two men followed Joe Salvatore out , dragging Damon along the stone floors and out into the long corridor.

Then came the screams.

So many screams. Around the clock. And it was only the beginning.


	3. Insanity

"TURN IT OFF!"

"NO!"

I wrapped my arms around my knees, most people thought torture was just a physical state. They could tear away pieces of me but nothing compared to the guilt i felt. I could hear Damon's screams , even from within my small cell. Pain which i condemned. Unlike everyone else here he never begged or pleaded, or shied away from the blade. He took it like a man and dealt with it, every day. Damon told me of his nightmares, a secret he decided not to share with his more familiar comrades but me which i had found very confusing every day of my life.

" What's your name hun?"

A soft African American voice pulled me back from my thoughts.

The cell opposite me was dark, i couldn't see a face or silhouette, only a leg which poked out from beneath the shadows.

I blinked, slowly feeling the cogs turning in my brain.

" Nadia"

" Well Nadia its nice to see a new face 'round here, m'names Mary Jane"

I smiled into the darkness " Nice to meet you"

The foot twirls leisurely " Well since we'll be spendin' a lot of time together, this is James" A hand appeared and she points to her left "Leo" her right " 'N' next to Leo is Finn and then on yo' side there's Spence, Rose and I'm pretty sure you know Damon" i couldn't see her face but her tone made me think that she was smiling.

" So how long have you all been here?" I asked quietly

Mary Jane sighed " Feels like years but I've been keepin' a talley, all of us have" her leg swings around , facing the wall.

" Uh let's see here, there's about 46 tallies so a few months"

Leo chuckled, his head leaning on her cell " And still goin' strong" he said admirably " I've been here for a year give or take"

Finn looks bitterly at the proceedings " For God's sake can we not talk about this shit hole" His voice rumbled with a strong English accent.

" Don't mind him sugar" assured Mary Jane " They've been here for 9 years"

"'They've?'"

" HAHAHAHAH!" An hysteric voice starts chanting loudly. I stared wide eyed in horror as Spence banged his head repeatedly on the back wall. Becoming bloodier and bloodier.

Leo looked down " Some people don't always make it after their 9th"

" Well i have" A proud woman's voice calls from the other side of Damon's cell, Rose. Great. Another English one.

She looked worse than me. She had very short hair that was held upwards from the knots, her skin was a mismatch of colours ranging from purples to blues to some weird grey- peach skin colour.

Not wanting to talk to Rose i asked the question that i had been repeatedly asking myself " How long has Damon-"

" He doesn't say" replied Finn flatly.

I looked down, feeling my guilt clench my throat. I felt like barfing, spewing out my morals, something i don't deserve to have anymore.

I feed the guilt. Turning into Damon's cell i expect for there to be a few tallies.

Oh how wrong i was.

In the faintest indentations i could see the tallies, so many it looked like it was just the bumpy texture of the wall. Hundreds were etched, squashed in every single corner. I looked up wide eyed, there was some on the ceiling.

James, a young boy who looked to be seventeen stareed outside into the long corridor, seeming to be away in his thoughts until he sprang to life.

" Guys" he hissed.

Everyone was instantly silenced as they slinked into the shadows of their cells. I followed suit, my muscles tensed, bones shaking and i was left praying that they wouldn't take me. Something about imprisonment makes you selfish. There I was praying that they wouldn't take me, anyone but me.

Two guards come in, hauling a bloody semiconscious Damon along the cobbled flooring. I could hear his faint wines, so quiet no human could have heard him. One unlocked his cell and the other chucked him in, i could hear a bone snap as he collided with the floor.

Rose and i tensed, eyeing up the guards. Rose's eyes became ruby red as she started to hiss at the men. One of them pulled out a spray can and aimed it at her face.

Her blood curdling scream lingered way after she was quiet. Her face popped and burned, a mixture of flesh and blood sizzled down her chin. As soon as the wounds were made they were repaired, her skin sewing itself back up. It was the quickest healing process i had ever seen and i didn't meet that many people who were older than me.

Rose looked at me and shrugged " One neat perk i got from this place i guess"

As the two men stride out i quickly reached into Damon's cell and yanked his body closer to mine but i couldn't. Rose looked at me with the uncanny look of someone who's pissed.

" I'll do it" she commanded. I sighed and let go, letting Rose bite into her wrist and feed her blood to a very relieved Damon. And again, a curious sensation tore at my muscles at the sight, envy. He drank deeply while Rose was stroking his hair. I snorted quietly, i guessed if Damon was fully conscious that definitely wouldn't be happening.

His wounds slowly began to shut and he fell asleep as his head thumped against the cold stone.

" Bless that boy" Mary Jane said softly " Been through hell and back an' he still has hope"

I look curiously in her cell " what do you mean?"

Mary Jane shifted in her cell but remained hidden" I hear him callin' in the night"

I lean in " Calling what?"

Suddenly Spence bursts to life again laughing " Katherine, Katherine, Katherine"

Rose sighed, tracing over Damon's eyes gingerly " And someone called Stefan too... And Giuseppe whoever that is"

Rose looked at Damon, worry lines creasing her young face. His eyes were abruptly sealed tight and his spine began to arch upwards, his whole body shivering.

" NO!" He screamed rasping for air.

" Damon wake up" Rose hissed, turning to the corridor " They'll hear you!"

" Damon!"

"Please wake up"

Nothing worked. He continued to writhe in pain in his cell, shivering like he's frozen but sweat begins to build on his forehead.

I slip a hand through the bars and place it on one side of his head and shut my eyes. I'm not a miracle worker but I'm a fast learner, so i think of Damon, feeling his thoughts rush into mine. His past, present, his fantasies, dreams and nightmares alike smacked into my mind.

I opened my eyes and I'm left standing in a circular room. There was one door. An old black mahogany door with metal chains around it, bolded and padlocked. I can felt my body thrum with either excitement or curiosity as i touched the chains and in one swooping motion they fell in a heap on the floor. I touched the doorknob-

Well it is what Damon wanted.

I clasp it, turning it slowly hearing the clicks as the latch was opened, the doorway to another mind. All mine.

Let's see who Damon Salvatore really is.


	4. Giuseppe

I was falling. Falling in darkness, my eyes squeezed shut as i fell into a memory. A memory chained and padlocked and hidden away for no one else to see.

Well, accept me.

I saw flashes of images, blurred sounds of laughter and the howling of grief until it stopped. I opened my eyes apprehensively, greeted by a sign that said: Mystic Falls.

Thunder rippled through the grey clouds that swept over Mystic Falls like a dome. The rain shattered down, carried by the current of the wind. The trees creaked noisily as they tipsily swung from side to side. In the middle of what seemed like nowhere there was a beautiful mansion. Big white columns at the front loomed over the flowerbeds, big framed windows that shone like stars when they caught the sun and each and every brick was painted a subtle shade of ivory. This house seemed like the perfect paradise, but what was inside was a little boys definition of the word Hell.

It was the dead of night and the winds were howling as the rain came down onto the house. With a clatter the front door burst open and a little boy wearing a long black cloak jumped over the threshold and ran like death was on his heels.

I stood watching from afar as the boy held his hand up to the rain lashing at his eyes but continued running like a racehorse. Two other men charged out after him, running like madmen catching up to the boy.

" DAMON!"

The little boy turned around, his hood flying off. I tilted my head in fascination at the resemblance of Little Damon. Big blue doe eyes full of innocence stared at the men with pure fear, a look i saw on so many Augustine vampires. His black hair stuck to his face from the rain, his cheeks flushed red as he gasped for breath. The two men continued to run so Damon set his pace again, tripping on the long grass as he went.

" DAMON GET BACK HERE!"

Damon gave out a rasp as he climbed uphill, his boots sloshing in the mud, unable to get to the top until he finally clasped into some stands of grass. He hauled himself up, the two men getting nearer and nearer but luckily unable to see him as it was the dead of night.

" Run Damon run" i muttered to myself as Damon wobbly began to stand on his thin legs.

" OVER THERE!"

Damon looked back once more, tears stinging his eyes. He ran like his life depended on it. By the looks of things it probably did.

But the men easily jumped over the small mound and they began running at him like they would never stop, pelting straight at him. Damon just wasn't quick enough.

WHAM

One of them launched all his body weight into Damon, causing him to be crushed by his weight.

"LET GO OF ME" Damon screamed, his arms thrashing wildly.

" Take him back to Mr Salvatore" one rasped to the other, handing an angry Damon over.

I walked back with them, hands in pockets. I knew it was useless doing anything, i was just another ghost.

Well that was what i was telling myself.

The man banged on the door, as loud as the thunder. The door opened once more and a warm sunburst light spread onto the front porch.

" Be quiet, Stefan asleep" a stranger hissed to the soaking man.

I walked around to see the strangers face and raised my eyebrows. Definitely Damon's father.

He looked in his forties or late thirties i couldn't tell from how many stress lines were imprinted on his face. His hair was black as coal but his roots were grey. He was clean shaven with long sideburns, his hair slicked back to a fashionable style for the 1800's as were his clothes. His eyes were near the same colour as Damon's but were more cold and dead, an icy grey-blue. He stared down at the boy with blatant dislike, no disgust even.

" Bring him in" he spat, taking lead and walking into a study. I caught an accent, probably Italian.

" Giuseppe" i breathed quietly, following the man holding Damon in an iron grip into the house.

The study looked beautiful, Giuseppe had taste. Old shelves were hand crafted and polished so the dim radiance of the fire from the grand fireplace was reflected from the wood. It made his study glow with warmth as shadows danced on the wooden floor which was covered in an array of burgundy rugs.

Giuseppe faced away from his son and into the fire, holding a generous amount of bourbon in a shaking hand.

" Sit"

The man who was holding Damon pressed hard on his shoulders, forcing him to sit on the chair opposite his father's desk.

I too decided to sit down, on an ornate chair in the corner which looked more for show because i didn't want anyone sitting on my lap.

Damon was silent, but his chest was heaving and his hands were scrunched up. Silence blossomed, you could only hear the _drip drip_ of the droplets falling from Damon's hair and the man's sodden cloak.

" Damon, son" Still staring into the fire he spoke, well more like recited " You are nearly nine, i know this isn't the life you may have wanted but as i am growing old you are the next oldest Salvatore-"

" I don't care" Damon said defiantly staring into his father's back with pure loathing.

" Now, now Damon-"

" What your doing is wrong!" Damon bellowed, trying to stand up but the man still had both hands on his shoulders.

Giuseppe swivelled around, eyes flaring " They're not people Damon, they have no sole. I do this to protect your mother, your brother. Do you want them to die?" His eyes were bulging, glaring at Damon.

Damon recoiled in his seat, looking down into his lap " No" he muttered

Giuseppe sighed " You see what i have to do? I have to get guards for you, to protect you against them-"

"DONT LIE" Damon screamed " You know i'll keep running away, there here to bring me back-"

" FOR GODS SAKE!" He slammed his glass on the table, not causing it to break but making large cracks in it. He closed his eyes, cooling his quick temper " Just because you were ' friends' with that one vampire doesn't mean they are all like that, she was tricking you-"

" She was my friend, she didn't want to die so she asked for my help" Damon bellowed but his voice was clogged up in his throat as he felt tears brimming in his eyes so he looked down.

Giuseppe looked at his son like he was alien " You are a hunter and will be a hunter it's in our blood, you will not be a sympathiser or i swear to God-"

" What! What will you do?!" Tears running freely down his face as he looked his father straight in his eyes, blue on blue.

" I'm already in hell!"

Giuseppe straitened up, smoothing out his jacket and turning back to the fire.

" I'm cutting you too much slack boy" he said as if in a trance, his index finger softly placed on the handle of an iron poker that was nestled in the fire " And boys who are out of line need to be punished" he lifted the hot poker from the fire, its tip ruby red. Damon squirmed in his seat but the man held him tighter, Damon screamed but then the man placed a giant hand over his mouth.

But the screams were heard and met with another's. A baby's howling echoed around the study, coming from upstairs.

" Come now Damon, you woke up your brother. Don't you have any respect" he said, swishing the poker around like a sword.

Giuseppe stepped around the desk looking admirably at the poker "Hold him"

Damon screamed and thrashed as the man un-tucked his shirt from his trousers to reveal the soft skin of the upper hip.

I leaned forwards, gaping. And i thought i had family problems.

The poker was inches away from his skin when the study doors opened and i sighed in relief. A woman in her thirties wearing a white frilly nightgown and overalls stepped in. Her wavy mahogany brown hair swooped back, tied together at the back of her head, her hazel eyes frowned in confusion.

" Leave us" A voice as soft as silk said in also an Italian accent.

"Maria" Giuseppe said abashed as he walked towards the fire quickly and shoved the iron poker back in much to Damon's noticeable relief. The man slowly let go of Damon not hoping to attract Mrs Salvatore's eye line but she was just looking emotionless at her husband as the man walked out shutting the door behind him.

I stared at Damon, watching as unhidden relief washed through his stature, he knew he was safe.

" Please tell me you weren't doing what i think you were about to do"

Silence.

" Maria I-"

" He's our son!" She exasperated, placing a soothing hand on her sons shoulder.

" It was the only way, Damon has to grow up knowing how to be a hunter if he doesn't like it that's tough-"

" No" her face was soft and somehow angelic but very unmistakably tired.

" You will not bring up my sons up to be killers Giuseppe , say your goodbyes because I'm taking them with me back to Italia"

Damn i was not expecting that.

Giuseppe's face looked panic stricken and slowly turning more and more white even with the fires glow.

" No you can't, i forbid it" he snarled, his hands like claws as he began to shake uncontrollably with gurgling rage. Maria stepped towards her husband until they were a foot apart from each other.

" I'd like to see you try and stop me"

Giuseppe didn't move. Frozen from shock. Damon knew he would never hit her.

Damon gaped as he looked at his mother, brimming with pride and relief, they would be free. They had won.

Maria turned around settling her soft gaze towards Damon, a warm smile on her lips until her mouth formed a perfect 'O' she dropped to the floor, a poker through her back.

"NO!" Damon screamed, ignoring his father's closeness as he cupped his mothers face in his small hands he could feel her life slipping away, barley there.

I kneel beside her, watching her as she shuddered, coughing up blood she turned towards Damon and said her last word.

"Run"

Damon froze, looking at his father who was stood standing over them but unresponsive. So he took his chance and ran, running to the door, ignoring his baby brothers screams from upstairs as he threw open the study door and then the front one, the exit to freedom.

Damon's body flew backwards like a rag doll and slammed into a wall , the man in the sodden cloak was on the threshold.

" Shall i do it sir?" Said the man

Giuseppe just stared at his wife's motionless figure.

" Sir?" The man repeated a little louder.

Giuseppe looked up " Do it"

The man grasped Damon by the shoulders making him cry out in pain as he was suspended two feet in the air, the mans eyes slowly turning crimson. Damon looked at the vampire straight in the eyes with terror.

" You will forget all of this happened, your mother died but from her trip to see her cousin. She got tuberculosis and passed away" Damon smiled drowsily looking into the man's eyes which made him sigh but then continue " You want to be like your father, a hero to Mystic Falls... now sleep"

The man slowly placed Damon back onto the floor " There, it's done" he said quietly " Now your end of the bargain"

Giuseppe looked at the vampire " Of course. Your family is safe and sound by the riverbank, they'll wake up soon"

The man turned to leave and Giuseppe let out a quiet snort " Fool"

And with that Giuseppe walked over to his sleeping son and scooped him up in his arms and carried him up the large staircase.

" Nadia" a voiced rasped. I jumped, looking down to see Mrs Salvatore looking at me straight in the eyes, blood still dripping absently down her mouth.

" Save him"

I blinked. No way in hell she could have known i was there. Unless she was a witch. But that was not possible, if Damon or Mrs Salvatore were witches they could have blasted Giuseppe's ass into smithereens.

Unless. No...

Maybe they were something else entirely. Nothing really shocks me at this point, next year i'll probably meet a leprechaun.

I jumped as everything went pitch black, the fire gone. I felt a hand grip my shoulder painfully, so painful i screamed. I tried scratching the hand but it was too strong.

Then i was falling in darkness until the hand swings my body around.

Damon.

His pupils are as small as pinpricks, small veins popping from beneath his eyes. He towers over me, eyes bulging as fury presents itself.

Oh crap.


	5. The Great Escape

Just like it started, it ended in darkness, spiraling downwards. I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to see Damon's face. I thought i didn't want to see the fury, the anger that compelled my body to run away from the predator. But realistically, I just didn't want to see him disappointed.

I felt the weight of my bones, the rawness of my new skin as my consciousness was placed back into reality, suddenly thankful of the metal poles that separated me from him.

I slowly opened an eye, delaying the inevitable and pretending to be asleep.

Silence. Not even any screams.

I slowly turned my head, hoping Damon wasn't looking. Virtually all the cells were empty, only Damon, a sleeping Spence and myself were cooped up.

"I know your awake"

I jumped.

Oh God cover blown!

I gave myself a well deserved smack as i lightly thumped my head against the wall, slowly turning around.

What i saw was probably the last thing i expected. Not anger or sadness. Damon's face was drained of colour, like a child who smashed a window and was about to get discovered for it. Well, accept for one concerning vein under his left eye that popped out occasionally.

"Damon i-"

"Don't" He said flatly, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes "I knew it was a bad idea, trusting you..."

I felt the end of conversation creeping in as i scrambled up an apology in my brain but instead-

"Wait Damon just give me another chance!-" i blurted out

"WHY?" He bellowed as he jumped up in a flash, making me jump again as i recoiled from his looming figure.

"I TRUSTED YOU, I GAVE YOU MY BLOOD WHEN YOU NEARLY DIED ON THIS FLOOR AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!"

I gape wordlessly as his eyes rake over my body with disgust. I clench my hands, feeling pissed.

"Damon I'm not the enemy here, we need to work together-"

"WHY?!" He roared, raising his hands up in the air with frustration " I wouldn't be surprised if you just left all of us here to save your own selfish ass" His words seeped like venom and caused my eyes to sting, not because Damon thought i was a selfish conceited vampire, but because he was right. So i do what i do best, i pushed him away.

"WELL I DONT SEE WHY EVERYONE HERE THINKS YOUR GOING TO SAVE US WHEN YOU CANT EVEN SORT YOUR OWN SHIT OUT" I retorted, standing up in hopes of gaining a bit more intimidation " So why did you trust me?, because you were lonely? or just because you knew that you needed help because you are too pathetic and self-pitying to think of a plan to get us out of here?"

He just slumped back down into the corner of his cell, eyes glued to the floor.

Oh God, I've made matters worse...again. One of the reasons i repelled Damon was probably because he was just like me, smoke and mirrors, a facade of someone who pretends not to care just for the sake of living. After living five centuries of this repeat, it finally sinks in. It's not really living if you have no one to share it with. I guess it's why i tried to make Dr Arthur Woods my new family, but what a load of crap that turned out to be, he's the reason i got into this mess. He turned me in with the rest of my species he could find. The best part was that he thought he was helping me, he thought he could save me from being a vampire, from being myself.

I sighed "Look Damon i didn't mean it" Rolling my eyes. Again and again this will go on, ill push and then pull. So i took another breath when Damon didn't fill the silence " You were right. I _do_ believe you'll get us out of here, but you do need my help don't you?" I try to sound as soft as possible but sympathy isn't my strong suit. When people break through your armour enough times you tend to end up not caring as the armour gets stronger less chinks are made and you end up impenetrable to empathy... or any emotion at all.

"Uh I'm sorry about what happened... your family, well your dad was a dick" I smiled, looking warily into Damon's unfathomable expression as he stared at the ceiling, wondering. "Your brother, Stephan right?" Damon's head snapped in my direction as he looked at me questionably.

" I heard that you've been calling him... in your sleep. I'm sorry you didn't get to say goodbye"

Damon frowned "What makes you think i would want to?-"

"Don't"

He raised his eyebrows "'Don't' what?"

I sat back down and stared at the ceiling, wondering if I would put tallies up there someday like Damon. "Pretend not to care"

He just blinked.

"Don't you miss him?"

He sighed, his head thumping against the stone wall " He wouldn't want to see me, not how things ended last time" He laughed bitterly "Probably doesn't even know im here, he doesn't care"

"You dont know that for sure" I assured "I know you miss him Damon, dont worry you'll see him again"

Damon breathed in, blinking more frequently than any human or vampire ought to " Yes... I miss the old times, when i deserved the right to be his older brother, to look after him-" He cut off looking down.

Definitely appropriate to change the subject GO GO GO i thought frantically

" So why did you trust me?" i blurted out thoughtlessly

Damon smiled looking into my eyes "You remind me of someone i know"

"Ahh i guess that's the lucky lady that is the owner to that engagement ring around your neck" I wondered aloud, feeling gurgling fury claw inside my stomach.

He doesn't reply, just grinned "Your right i do need your help Nadia"

"Escape mission?" I smiled back

"Mmm, when you've been here a few years you learn a thing or two"

I tilted my head, eagerly "Like what?"

"Like vervain is highly flammable and is running through a ventilation system which runs across the whole place" He stood up and stared at the slabs on the wall behind him "They burn a few stems of vervain in a hidden room, not too much to gas everyone out, just enough to keep us weak" He grabbed a slab on the top left and dug his fingertips into its grooves " And when burned in very large quantities, it's enough to knock out a human and causes a very dense gas to appear" The slab fell out and Damon grabbed something carefully from the space where the slab was supposed to be and smirked " Luckily for us i know where that room is and i have this" He said as he toyed with a case of a lighter.

He looked down at me, eyes shining "Now this is where you come in..."

~~~ Leave in the comments if you want anymore Damon or Nadia flashbacks =D ~~~


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